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June 13, 2012

Carbon on Ice

A team of researchers sample ice and snow from an ice floe in the Canada Basin, an area northwest of the Canadian coast, during a 2008 expedition to measure carbon levels in the Arctic Ocean. Using moorings and other instruments, the team also gathered samples from 24 depths in the basin, ranging from the surface to the ocean floor 3,800 meters (roughly 12,500 feet) below. Collecting samples at those intervals was necessary because the Arctic Ocean is separated into distinct layers, each with its own unique carbon characteristics. In addition to understanding the basic carbon cycle in the Arctic Ocean, the results of this baseline study will help shed light on how Arctic Ocean carbon levels and global climate interact. (Photo by David Griffith, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)